Ecology
Ecology Winter Coats.jpg Forest Flora.jpg Summer Coats.jpg Ecology (from Greek: οἶκος, "house", or "environment"; -λογία, "study of") is the scientific analysis and study of interactions among organisms and their environment. Topics of interest to ecologists include the diversity, distribution, amount (biomass), and number (population) of particular organisms, as well as cooperation and competition between organisms, both within and among ecosystems and even smaller biomes. The world of Shelter 2 has a rich ecology, with each of the four maps functioning as a whole ecosystem, and showcasing smaller biomes within. The cycles of life and the changing seasons are represented in the abundance or shortage of prey and predatorshttp://shelter-2.wikia.com/wiki/Other_Animals in these biomes. On the hardest difficulties (survival mode, with hazards on from the Mountains DLC), it is important for the mother lynx to become a part of her environment. She must move her cubshttp://shelter-2.wikia.com/wiki/Cubs with the prey, knowing how to avoid areas hit hardest by winters chill, and areas of plenty with summers bounty. Each map, and each biome, offers unique rewards, and unique challenges, at different times of year. While it is possible (and satisfyingly challenging) to raise a generation of cubs in a single biome, it is usually preferable to move the cubs from biome to biome within one or two environments (maps) in a generation. World Overview Matte Winter.jpg|Concept Art Winter Matte Spring.jpg|Concept Art Spring Matte Summer.jpg|Concept Art Summer Matte Fall.jpg|Concept Art Fall Ecosystems are composed of dynamically interacting parts including organisms, the communities they make up, and the non-living components of their environment. A biome is a community of plants and animals that have common characteristics for the environment they exist in. "Biome" is a broader term than "habitat"; any biome can comprise a variety of habitats. Valley (Main/Big Tree/Den) Map Environment Overview Terrain A northern valley, shaped by the movement of glaciers. The elevation climbs significantly in the north-eastern corner, and decreases in the south-western corner. There are many rock formations, presumably glacial deposits. Bodies of water are few, almost all are in the north-western corner near the Tundra Pass, and a few ponds in the Birch and Boreal forests. Flora Fauna Prey * Rabbits * Voles * Pheasants * Frogs * Eggs ** Waterfowl ** Owl Predators * Foxes * Eagles * Bears? Dangers * Forest Fires * The Lonesome Fog * Predators - Danger: Low/Medium Biomes Grassland Terrain *Shallow hills and open plains, wide spaced rock deposits. Flora *Sparse, rocky pine thickets, tall grasses, summer wildflowers. Fauna *Prey **Rabbits (Common Year Round. Bountiful in Spring/Summer) **Voles (Common Year Round: Bountiful in Spring/Fall) **Owl Eggs (Uncommon in Spring) *Predators **Eagles (Common Year Round) **Foxes (Uncommon Year Round) Challenges *Winter famine can be more deadly, due to lack of larger prey and stamina expenditure from chasing prey in the open field. Eagle attacks are common, due to lack of underbrush. This also serves as an advantage however, as it makes rescuing cubs less problematic. Foxes are a common threat on the edges of the grassland where it is more wooded. Foothills Terrain *Rocky with steep altitude changes. Glacial alpine hills. Flora *Coniferous sub-alpine forest (pine and fir), dry and wind-torn in the higher elevations (north), while the lower hills are carpeted in lush meadows (south). Fauna *Prey ** Rabbits (Common Year Round, Bountiful in Summer/Fall) ** Voles (Common Year Round, Bountiful in Spring/Fall) ** Pheasants (Common Year Round) *Predators **(No Data) Challenges *Prey can be scarce at the highest elevations of this biome in winter, but populations of rabbits and voles remain stable year round in the lower hills. Boreal Forest Terrain Flora Fauna Prey Predators Challenges Birch Forest Terrain *Rough and rocky, with many shallow ravines and hills. Flora *Thick underbrush and bushes between birch and pine. A young forest. Fauna Prey Rabbits (Common Year Round) Voles (Common Year Round. Bountiful in Spring/Fall) Pheasant (Uncommon Year Round?) Waterfowl Eggs (Rare Year Round?) Predators Foxes (Common Year Round) Challenges: Fox attacks are common, and deadly. Rescue attempts are difficult with dense underbrush, rocks, and uneven terrain. Foxes are especially well camouflaged in autumn and early spring in this biome. Lightning strikes can cause brush fire here. Due to the frequency of autumn storms, and the foxes seasonal camouflage in its native territory, this biome is especially dangerous in the fall. Marshland Terrain: Mostly flat and open, with shallow stagnant pools.of water. Flora: Weeping birch, thick underbrush of reeds and sedges. Fauna Prey Rabbits (Uncommon Year Round, Common in Spring/Summer) Voles (Uncommon Year Round, Common Summer) Frogs (Bountiful in Spring/Summer) Waterfowl Eggs (Bountiful in Spring/Summer) Predators Foxes (Uncommon Year Round) Eagles (Rare Year Round?) Challenges: Food is scarce in winter, and survival here during this season is not recommended. However, it is an incredibly bountiful area for food in the spring and summer, allowing kits to thrive and adolescents to survive. Foxes can be an issue here, especially in the fall and spring as they will be well camouflaged, however rescue attempts are often successful, as the terrain is mostly flat and open. Lake (Three Hills) Tundra (Arctic) Mountain (DLC) Notes This page is a WIP (Work in Progress) and is unfinished.